U.S. Attorney David Fein To Resign

Connecticut's U.S. Attorney David Fein, who used his office to target investment fraud and reduce gun violence, said Tuesday that he will leave office later this month, three years into his four-year term.

Fein, 52, said he is considering a variety of employment opportunities in the private sector. He said his resignation is effective May 13.

"There are some interesting opportunities out there that have come my way and I don't feel comfortable exploring them while I am in the position," Fein said. "So I am going to do it post employment rather than during employment. I'm going to take a couple of months, and consider options and decide."

"I feel great. It's been a tremendous few years here," he said. "People in our office and our partners in law enforcement have done tremendous work. They have been fully committed to the priorities that we have set and have been tremendously productive. So I couldn't been prouder of the office and the law enforcement partners."

Fein's departure opens a long process to chose a replacement for a position that is effectively the chief federal law enforcement officer in Connecticut. The practice in the recent past is for the state's two U.S. senators to forward a candidate to the White House. Whoever the president nominates must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

In the meantime, the Justice Department is expected to appoint an acting U.S. Attorney.

Fein, of Old Greenwich, assumed the office in May 2010. He came from a white collar criminal practice at Wiggin and Dana in Stamford. Before that, he was an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Among other things, he was deputy chief of the criminal division for former Southern District U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White.

Upon his appointment in Connecticut, Fein undertook a top down reorganization of the office.

He focused the office on financial frauds, both investment fraud by financial advisors and large scale mortgage fraud that left scores of vacant and dilapidated properties in cities such as New Haven. His anti-violence program targeted armed drug gangs.

Perhaps most notable was Fein's prosecution of child exploitation cases, which targeted both pornographers and adults, such as educators and physicians accused of sexually abusing children in their custody.